Costa Rica

Of all the places I visited in the past two years, Costa Rica must be the ultimate favourite – possibly because I had more than 5 rushed days to soak up every little bit of information I could gather and had time to actually relax, lean back and let the experiences drizzle down on me like warm summer rain. Or heavy tropical rain showers – that depended on the day.
I …

The first time I took part in a yoga class, I was a teenager with a passion for speedy activities like Volleyball or athletics. One day our gym teacher invited an instructor to introduce us to this “new thing” called yoga, and new it surely was back then in my home country of Austria. Unfortunately, 15-year-old me wasn’t impressed by stretching her bottom to the sky in Downward Facing Dog …

With images of wooden jungle cabins, untouched beaches and wild animals roaming free, the word “eco-tourism” resonates with my memories of Costa Rica like no other. Never before have I traveled a place where ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY was written across nearly everything: car rental companies, back country lodges, traditional restaurants, tour agencies and yes, even luxurious beach resorts. Costa Rica is a popular holiday destination for thousands of tourists and explorers …

Certain things can add a country to my list of favorite destinations: meeting people, who will stay in my life forever, for example. Or being surprised by a landscape which exceeds my wildest imaginations. Not only Iceland and Canada made their way onto my list that way, but also Costa Rica.
When I decided to travel Costa Rica I would have never thought that we would stay in a room without A/C …

One of the greatest things about Costa Rica? Even though it is a very popular holiday destination, options to go off the beaten track are neverending! This incredibly small country offers various microclimates and distinctive cultures to explore – everytime you turn the corner you end up in a totally different place. An easy start to see more of this is to leave the popular Pacific coast behind, cross the …

There comes the time when I’ve just had enough. Carrying at least one heavy backpack from one bus stop to the next, holding on to my valuables on a public bus, curling up on a super-thin dorm mattress trying to avoid leaving the safe (and clean) environment of my sleeping bag. Fighting for the last tablespoon in the hostel kitchen and ending up slurping 1-minute chicken noodle soup with a …

Do you like trying out new things just as much as I do? Learning how to surf has always been a dream, so I naturally got super excited about our trip to the world famous surf paradise Dominical in Costa Rica – a Travelette has been there before, read more here. To get the most out of it we decided to take part in a surf camp. A surf camp? …

The area around the small towns of Dominical and Uvita, on the Pacific coast of southern Costa Rica, is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve visited the region four separate times over the course of six years, and although through that period of time there has been many changes, the overall energy of the magical region remains untouched. More hotels and restaurants are popping up constantly; but …

I spent my weekend surrounded by jungle. I saw a white faced capuchin during my morning walk. I ate lunch with an iguana beside me. I swam under a waterfall in the afternoon. I did yoga with tropical birds. I watched the sunset over the ocean as I ate dinner. The best part? I didn’t even leave my hotel. Travelettes, I have a terrible confession to make. When preparing for …

Tortillas are actually pretty easy to make from scratch, but no one ever suspects that. So when I do decide to take the extra time to make them they are perceived as an impressive delicacy. I mastered the art while living on an organic farm on the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains in Costa Rica, where they are as much of a staple in everyday meals as rice and beans. …